JAN 1 2023 | Learning Curve S1E1

Sea Change Church · Learning Curve S1E1 · "Learning Curve" · January 1, 2023
Automated transcript. Not reviewed for accuracy.

Good morning. I am Parker Thompson. I play guitar on the worship team. I also attend the Bible study 242. I am married to Bailey the drummer on the worship team who also attends 242 and she's the prettiest girl in this church. today's scripture to Proverbs chapter 1 verse 1 through 7 the Proverbs of Solomon son of David king of Israel for retaining wisdom and discipline for understanding words of insight for acquiring disciplined and prudent life doing what is right and just and fair for giving Prudence to let the simple knowledge and discretion to the young let the wise listen and add to their learning.

and let the Discerning get guidance for understanding Proverbs and Parables the sayings and riddles of the wise the fear of the Lord is beginning of knowledge, but fools, just pardon, but fools despise wisdom and discipline the word of the Lord right on let me pray and we're gonna get into this Lord Jesus. Thank you for your goodness and your grace.

I love you and be with us this year as we seek to know you to hear from you and to be with you in Jesus name. Amen. Hey, everybody Bibles open up to Proverbs one. We have a curricular a curriculum here at our church that we run through and you'll start to notice it we start with the Book of Proverbs every single year for about three weeks before we jump into the Old Testament and then into the gospel right after Easter for a series and then the holy spirit in the summer. It'll go on. I'm gonna publish that so you actually know that we can have the full counsel of scripture who Jesus is who the holy spirit is who the father is we're starting with Proverbs today.

Because Proverbs tells us how to live. Proverbs is a pragmatic book that is just as valuable today as it was 2,000 years ago 2,500 years ago or more when it was written and so in the Proverbs we're going to study what God is telling us to do what God is calling us towards now. I want to begin with a premise. Okay. The premise is this you'll see it on your notes.

God is always speaking to us. Here's a premise. God is always speaking to us. This idea of you know, God is playing a cat and mouse game with you. He's playing hide and seek I think is not the heart or nature of God. Jesus didn't die on the cross to open a way back to the father so that he could hide his will from you. He did not die on the cross to open a way to God's wisdom and knowledge. So he could present a way that doesn't have a polls to it to show you what is true north and what is not and which direction they go. So we want to begin with this.

God's always speaking to you. Now the question that we want to ask with that premise is this Then what is God saying to me? What's he actually saying to me? This is important and one of the things I've always as I realized people want to know what to do in their life oftentimes more than they want to know God. If you were to ask people, what would you rather know who you're supposed to marry where you're supposed to go? What job you're supposed to have what we're on and on and on or you could actually just know God more.

Which would you choose? Real hard not to choose to know right what you want for your life. And what the Bible makes it clear is that you will never know what you in in truth of what God has called you to until you know who God is and the amount of which you know for your life like the direction to go do I go left do I go right is directly tied to how much you seek God and knowing god. So that is where this begins and this understanding the scriptures actually say seek ye first what the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you but what are where do we where do we often start? I often start with should I do this?

Should I do that? Where am I on the map? I said during the The message on Christmas Eve that there's two types of lost people the Bible says everyone is lost. While we were at sinners Christ died for us. He reached out to us. We're all lost even when we're found. We're often times lost on the map. Where is God in the midst of this and I said, there's two types of lost people there's those that know their lost and those that don't I begin with the premise that while I am found by God and I'm a beloved child of God. I'm regularly lost every day I wake up and I don't know what direction to go. God has a direction for me as a calling for me. There's certain places on the map that I know for sure, but there's other instances are things that catch me off guard and I'm going to need to employ something in order to live well into those questions and oftentimes that is the scripture. So the thing that we often need is the word you can write their word behind what it says in the notes where it says God. What is God trying to say to me the word is discernment.

Discernment how do we discern? What is discernment? Discernment is like a is like filtering coffee grounds. Discernment is takes the raw material of the hot water. Okay and the beans and it puts a filter on those the raw material being your questions in life. The things you are wondering about and discernment is the process that filters the raw material into something that is consumable that thing you hate and the thing we've worked really hard on is not having coffee grounds in your coffee here at church, right? You forget that memory a few years ago. We had a coffee ground problem. We fix that how We had to get bigger filters and so discernment is a filter and I want to I want to to to challenge you to use the Book of Proverbs regularly as a filter Book of Proverbs promises you that if you follow it, it's entire purpose is that you will know what to do then go to verse 1.

the Proverbs of Solomon the son of David king of Israel What is this for it's for attaining wisdom and discipline and understanding words of insight verse 3 for acquiring a discipline and a prudent life. What is right? What is just a very goes on to tell you that the entire purpose of the Book of Proverbs is to filter your life and give you discernment so you will know what to do.

Whenever I have a question whenever I'm in a seriously every time whenever I'm in a questioning state or I don't know an answer. I will go to the Book of Proverbs. I actually read The Book of Proverbs every day anyways, but if you read The Book of Proverbs it promises you it will make you wise now wisdom and discernment are not like athletic ability.

I will never be like whomever. Let's say Michael Jordan. I will never be as bright as Albert Einstein. But wisdom has nothing to do with how smart you are wisdom is not smart wisdom is knowledge. And so anyone the Bible says can be incredibly wise. It is something that you can attain to the highest levels of human ability is wisdom. It's not like athletic gifting. It's not like Smart's gifting. It's not like any other gifting it is something anybody could have if they want it.

What we want to say then is this if God is always speaking. We want to begin with this premise as well. And if you can discern it that you can know God's will. You can actually know what God's will is and you can make a a reasonable shot at following that will. Now you're never gonna do it perfectly. But Romans 8:28 helps us with that right Romans. 8:28 says for all things work together for good.

For those who love who love God and are called according to his purpose. So if you do your best the Bible says and you make a mistake God can sort that out. You see it's actually being in the act of Eben flow of trying and sometimes failing but employing wisdom. And so I said that in your notes you'll see this discernment is the spiritual process.

That excesses and seeks to understand what God is trying to say that is from Henry nowen. And now we're a book. I'm reading right now called discernment an incredible book that I'm going through and it talks about this ability to know what is right and what is wrong now? I had someone come up to me after the Easter Service when I talked about, you know, I said the world is lost and I said, I think we live in probably this a generation that will be remembered is one of the most wicked Generations.

It's ever walked the face of the Earth. What I think I thought about it a lot before I said and so some challenged me afterwards, which I really appreciate and they said why do you think so and I told them the reasons why and they said well don't you think that's close minded. I said, absolutely I said, I'm absolutely closed-minded.

I mean there is no there is no religion without being closed to religion sets boundaries up religion sets moral boundaries up that says this is right. This is wrong and at a certain point you look at it with an open mind and then you close the door and at that point your clothes minded. I think it's an interesting premise when you speak to people and they're like, oh it can't be open-minded not like no. I'm actually really close-minded. I was open-minded and now I'm close-minded on this because we can know what is right and we can know what is wrong.

This idea of hey, whatever's good for you seek your own truth manifest your no we don't that's what differentiates all religion actually, okay all religion whether you know, they Buddhist don't consider themselves a religion. They consider themselves a path but even Buddhism has certain things that they would consider right and wrong and that sets up a boundary and their clothes minded to other things. They're less close-minded then as Believers, but why are we and you know close mindedness is like the biggest sin and in the world right now. I don't actually think it's that big of a sin. I actually think it's it's wise to know things and say, you know, I'm close-minded to shoving this pen in my hand because I know it hurts and I'm just not gonna open up to the idea that I should do it more often. And so we look at this in private talks about these things. How do we discern?

How do we CERN discern them? What is right and then what is right for your life? And what is wrong for your life? I put in the notes. You'll see trusting the process. This entire seven verses of Proverbs is a process. hearing from God is not a One-Stop shop. That only opens when you need to make a big decision in life. What should I devote my life to?

Whom should I marry where should I live rather? It's a lifelong commitment to remember God in all of life's transactions. You see what is discernment discernment is wherever you are on the road. Wherever path you are at, whatever Crossroads you're at. You remember God in that moment. You ask yourself God. What are you doing here God. What are you trying to say right now in this moment? I'll give you an example woke up couple mornings ago with that anxiety coat you ever have the anxiety coat that shows up it just wearing a coat. You don't know how you put it on but you're anxious, right? So I was anxious and I was letting it bug me and then I decided you know, I'm gonna do I'm gonna say God. What are you saying right now?

What are you trying to tell me in this moment? Why am I feeling this way? What do you have to say? How do I actually live this moment now? So what is discernment discernment is remembering God in every situation no matter where you are on the map and it's starting the process. Okay. So with discernment look at the verse right now that is in front of you.

There are 12 active verbs. in this verse 7 verses why did I tell you that? Because discernment is an active process. So often you say God, what are you doing? And then we don't do anything to go find out it is actually an active process. Let me show you some of the verbs that we find here as you say it says in verse 2 attaining.

It's something you need to attain. Understanding, it's something that you need to work to understand. Are you a mathematician? Math doesn't just show up. You need to seek to understand that for some people. It's easier than others, but it is hard work for acquiring. It's something that can be acquired wisdom and knowledge can be acquired.

You actually cannot change your IQ. But you can change the amount of knowledge that you have IQ is something that will go down and oftentimes doesn't go up but it's pretty static. In regard to IQ, that's not true with wisdom and knowledge. You can continue the brain actually expands, you know, they measured Einstein's brain like it was way bigger than most people it didn't hardly fit in his head anymore. You know what I mean?

The more you can actually the the mind and the Soul are meant to be elastic and to expand they also shrink just like the Grinch's heart. If you want to seek knowledge, if you make it a purpose to seek and acquire then you will continue to grow in that disciplined is there to being disciplined is that I didn't even put that as one of the twelve doing if you go to verse 3 Verse 4 giving giving is part of that learning. If you go to verse 5 listen add get understanding sayings which are something you would say in verse 7 fear of the Lord It's all this active process.

How active are you in trying to discern what God's will is beyond just saying God. What are you doing? Oh God, I'm lost again save me. That's great. One of my favorite prayers four letter prayer help. I love it. Sometimes I'll just be there and I'll just meditate on the word help God. I need help. Oh God. I need help. But what we find is it is actually a difficult pursuit to attain knowledge and it shows they're in the seven verses. There are 12 maybe even more You could argue active verbs that show that this is something you have to do last night five o'clock.

New Year's Eve. I knew I was going to go to bed by 10 because I don't stay up for New Year's Eve. Just don't so was it bad by nine? Probably celebrate the New York New Year's go to bed and it's five o'clock and I thought there's some Costco stuff I want right now you ever get that feeling like there's a there's just a summit Costco. I can't get nowhere else.

It's five o'clock on New Year's Eve. Don't go to Costco at five o'clock on New Year's Eve. All right, but alright five o'clock. Again, I check they close at six. Oh my God, Bingo. Let's go. Let's go. So I needed some tri-tip. I needed like I ended up my ideas. I'm just and I went hungry don't go to Costco hungry. No, I'm serious.

383 bucks. I spent 383 bucks dude, right? I got some good. We got a new freezer for Christmas. I filled if I was in the frozen section. My daughter's like you do not need Frozen dim sum. I'm like, yes, I do. Some things I wanted. I wanted that liquid IV because they keep me, you know hydrated so I go to Costco and I know what I'm looking for, right and I there's some things I want and I'm in there and I'm like a pinball bing bing. The guys are working. You need solar. I'm like not at the moment.

Try one of these. Okay, I'll take that. And I finally I make it to the back of the store and I find what I'm looking for. It was hard to get there the parking it was a mess. I get that. There's one bag of liquid Ivy that you left. I'm like, yes. Yes a guy, you know my going with the ring, you know, and then my I remember my daughter had asked me to find something going somewhere. My daughter had asked me to find some new espresso. I don't really like the espresso. We've been trying this espressos. I don't like the blend they have so I walk over there and all the sudden there's a new type of Kirkland espresso blend and I'm like, I wasn't even looking like I didn't even know I got surprised. This is like wisdom and knowledge and Proverbs. Let me tell you what I mean.

It wasn't easy to go get. I had to go seek for it. It was annoying. It was hard but I found the thing I was looking when I got there. I found the thing there was only one left. It was like a gem like a proverb says I found the thing I was looking for, you know, what else was cool. I found something that wasn't looking for and it was awesome. And I had that espresso blend today and it is good. And so why do I tell you that?

If you were on a process of wanting to know God's will. You're going to need to step into it. You're gonna need to work. You're gonna need to go to spiritual Costco at 5 pm on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. That's what it's like don't don't think that God's just oh, you know, you're not gonna listen no problem. I'm just gonna come I'm gonna come up and just give you notes and I'm gonna speak in your ear and I'm gonna show up in front of you and do this. God might do that on occasion.

But it's more spiritual Costco. And so the question is how committed are you to knowing God's will it says here that there is a process the process begins at the end go to verse 7. It tells you what the process is. It says after saying all these things in the first six verses. It says something that probably it should have said at the first verse but it says it in the seventh verse the fear of the Lord is the beginning.

of knowledge But fools despise wisdom and discipline. We live in a world that despises wisdom and especially discipline. There is hedonistic right now pursue all there is no boundaries on your own passions and to tell anybody that there should be boundaries on their own passions is the greatest sin in the world right now. But it says this it says the fear of the Lord now, here's a couple misunderstandings. What does it mean fear of the Lord?

Fear is oftentimes. It's like well, should I be afraid of God? I don't think that that is how this should be interpreted how I've always understood interpretation is you'll see the notes the word fear. Can be interpreted as remembering. God and living in the questions of God. What are you doing? And what are you saying to fear?

The lord needs to remember the Lord? To fear the lord means to remember him in all that you do when I was a child. I and in high school certain things that have an idea am I going to go do this thing? And then I would remember my father. And I would think. Not going to do that. It wasn't I was afraid of him. But I just remembered him. I just remembered that one. This isn't what I'm called to that's one thing. My parents regularly said to me they would say to you, you know, this is not who you are rather than saying you were horrible person. They'd always say this is not who you are be who you are be the best person you can be so it was that remembering it's the same way with God when you're seeking God when you're looking at the classes you're going to take when the thing the decisions you're going to to make what you're going to do with your day. What you're going to do with your New Year's values. Whatever the decision remember God. That's what it means to fear. God you remember him in every single moment.

How much do you remember him? The more you remember God the more you're going to understand what he is saying now, here's a caveat. Proverbs has this crazy little caveat in verse 7 as well, and it's actually all throughout it. There's a word that is used three times. That we often maybe see if you can find it. There's a word that's used three times in there.

In your notes in the in the scripture and it's a word read oftentimes don't associate with knowing the will of God. To give you a couple more seconds three, dude. Discipline right good job discipline. Look in verse 2 for attaining wisdom all we want wisdom. Don't we we want wisdom. And what? It's bridesmaid discipline. Oh, I want discipline. Oh more discipline. Yeah. No, I mean not as much as we want wisdom. You see there. Is it parlays it it puts it together as a parallel if you're going to have wisdom.

You need to have discipline and it says it three times in there. Look at verse 2 for attaining wisdom and discipline. for understanding words of insight and for acquiring what a disciplined and Prudent Wife for doing what is just unfair then go down to verse 7, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline If you are going to follow and hear from God and know what you're supposed to do in your life, you're going to have to have discipline in what in spiritual practice number one.

You need to have a discipline in your spiritual practice. We're going to talk about that just as we end in a few minutes here about a pretty easy process to employ that discipline but wisdom and discernment start with prayer. Wisdom and discernment start with the word of God wisdom in the discernment start in community. Prayer the word of God and community and the more you are disciplined to pulling away.

Hearing from God in the silence hearing from God In Prayer hearing from God through his word hearing from God through the community of other believers because as you'll see in In this passage, if you look it says you're not just getting wisdom from God you're attaining wisdom from the wise. Who's that? That's the people that are sitting around you.

That is people that you're in community with that is your Council of Believers that you sit with and so let's not forget discipline and discipline. There is oftentimes just our spiritual practice. If you have discipline and spiritual practice, it will flow into the other areas of discipline in your life. It'll be easier not to step into that habit that you want to stop doing it'll be easier not to be addicted to that addiction because you have been disciplined you will find that when you use spiritual discipline of prayer the word of God being in being here on Sunday like this. These things will actually open they have an overflow into your life that gives you more discipline in other things. So let's go to verse 2 It calls us Proverbs 1 through 7 creates a process. It says before we read verse 2 creates a process for living the wise and discipline life that begins with a call to pursue it. It calls you to go and get it.

It says get all right verse 2. For attaining wisdom and discipline for understanding words of insight not just getting a word of insight but understanding it. For acquiring a disciplined and prudent life for doing what is right for doing what is just and fair look at some of those words again. It calls you to attain in the scripture Circle attain in verse 2.

Calls you to understand. That means figure that means noodling it out understanding working to see God. What are you saying here? What is going on Beyond just the surface level of emotions. Your surface level motion is oftentimes. Not the destination. But it is a road sign on the way to the destination. You say that again you remote your first initial emotion is often. Not the destination.

That has the answer to what you need to know. It is a roadmap to get you through the destination. You want to know what the problem is with me most of the time I stop at the road sign and act like it's the destination. I'm angry. Going to act angry and act out. I'm sad. The question is why are you sad? Why are you angry? Why are these things happening? So you're gaining understanding.

These are the things and part of this of seeking to understand it says acquiring It says doing what are you doing? That's the thing. That's when you start actually living it out. Some of your answers will be found when you live things out. When you take that trip to Mexico to work with those orphans, you're going to find an answer there that you wouldn't have found if you wouldn't have stepped out because we are living in a flow of getting knowledge, but then living that knowledge out.

How do we do that? Your notes it says discernment is rooted in the core disciplines of the Christian Life As I said prayer Community worship and Ministry. This is this is important as I talked about this ebb and flow. Next thing I also wrote in there is Discerning the voice of God happens in the ebb and flow the back and forth of our silence before God.

and our activity with God the answers you're looking for. Are not only found in the silence you have to have the silence. the world's noisy the world is loud. The world will have static. It'll call you your distractions. You will not only find the answers in the silence. The answers that you do find in the silence need to be tested.

And the proof is in the pudding when they are tested in the activity of actually doing it. When God tells you that you are speaking to your children in a way that you shouldn't speak to them anymore. If you just sit on that answer and you never employ that into the actual relationship and start saying I'm gonna be a person who blesses and not curses you will find all of a sudden they will react to it. They will share something with you hate when you did that that was you know important to me are they'll give you a hug or something will happen. And in that what you heard in the silence is confirmed in the doing and the action you will only hear and know when you hear in the silence and you and you have the outflow and the active life, let me just read it again.

Discerning the voice of God happens in the ebb and flow of our silence before God. and our activity with God you see sometimes it's like oh, I don't know. I'm not gonna act until I get the exact answer. Do I find out the answer? I'm not gonna act then you don't have faith. If you feel God is told you something he's told you to end a relationship. He's told you to start a relationship. It's told you to look for a new job. You feel like you're not sure but you think he's told you he's told you whatever it is.

The thing you need to do is once you've sat on that for a while and you get to a place to react you need to actually step into it. You won't know if it's right until you step into it and so it is stepping into it. So if you want to know wisdom says you need to have spiritual discipline fear God ask him in all the silence but then step into it and the answers will be confirmed and all of a sudden you will see them all in life and they interconnectivity of Life. You'll see them in the movie you watch last night.

You'll read it in the book in a book of something you heard on the radio. You'll be confirmed in a book. You read. Your mother will tell you something. You will have a thought you'll have a random encounter talking to somebody something will happen in the ebb and flow in life. But you have to have both poles you have to have the silence and we have to have the living in that. So here's this week's challenge at the end.

This week's Challenge and this year's challenge actually go to verse 5. Challenges verse 5 says this let the wise listen. And add to their learning here's a challenge cancel the noise. Cancel the noise you're surrounded by noise. This is noisy. Is incredibly noisy. The internet news the news cycle the whatever it is is incredibly noisy.

To pull back to get away from those distractions and to be able to sit in silence cancel the noise. What's the noisiest thing in your life and don't say your husband? That would be me. What's the noisiest thing in your life? I don't be canceled. To sit and begin to listen. To get out into the woods to get somewhere and quiet to find that place every single day to Center yourself and to be with God in The rhythms of life.

This is one thing I really need to do. God has been speaking to me in the activity a ton. He speaks to me in the movement and he's been saying to me I want to be alone with you. But I'm terrified of intimacy. So that's going to be tough. And so this is the thing. This was last year's value of mine that I was going to try to do all year, but I didn't do it.

God says I want more intimacy with you. And I'm like, I just keep talking me through the word into the Bible studies and and he is he's so good. He talks me in the way. He's so good to me. He speaks to me all the time. But he's like, hey, can we go like hang out alone for a while? I'm like new new. No, no, you haven't earned that you haven't earned yet God.

It happens in moments that I do love and I do love that and maybe I'm being a little hyperbolic. But the one thing I want to do is to get in that size cancel the noise. What's the noisiest thing in your life that needs to be canceled. Next number two is this living the questions live in the questions You know, once you get to the solution, there's going to be another question. What job should I take you get the you get the job? Yeah, I got the job. Now.

What do I do? It's another question be comfortable in the questions. That is the life of faith. God called us to knowledge and knowing and there is this knowledge and there's this moments where you have this Clarity where you get to a bus stop and I find that the life of faith is a bunch of bus stops, right? He takes you to new place you get out of the bus stop you enjoy that place for a while, but then it's pretty soon. It's time to move on.

He doesn't take me to a place and he's like you're just there you're gonna know that place really. Well, you're Never Gonna Leave it and we're just gonna live in the safety of that. He's always pushing me for 1% more faith. That's it 1% more faith than you have is no different than a million, you know percent or whatever. I'm not a mathematician a lot more.

1% of extra faith is all you need to take you into the you know, as as Tom Cruise would say the danger zone, you know, at least the song would say so God is calling us to live in the questions. Asking yourself this God Kenny Loggins actually God. What are you doing? And what are you saying? Great. So number one cancel the noise number two live in the questions constantly asking God. What are you doing? What are you saying?

And then once you get it step into the final one is get rooted in community verse 7 go to verse 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. And then sorry verse 6 apologize. For understanding Proverbs and Parables and the sayings and riddles of the wise. Who is your Council? Who are you surrounded by?

wise like that, you actually trust their opinion. You know, I was Finding I said just because someone's your father doesn't mean that they're wise. And I had a a kid come to me and say Hey, you know, my dad is actually the most wise person in my life. I was like, that's so cool. I said awesome. I like that but just because somebody has an influential place in your life for one reason or another doesn't mean they're the wisest person that you should be listening to they might be and so the question is, who are you surrounded with by who do you go to to ask for wisdom?

I began to think about the blessing of being in a church like this of how many wise people I'm surrounded by and I began to think of a list. I made a giant list, but I began to think about this year some of the people that I've reached out to at certain points just for their wisdom and It's always a little dangerous because there's many people I could now to say but I just wanted to highlight a few that stuck out to me Dave Peterson was one of the guys that hired me here at the church incredibly.

I mean the guys just like an oak. I'm seriously there's just times we're all just call them up and say hey, what do you think about this Pastor Jim? I talked to him regularly. Probably three to five times a year. He gives me a word of knowledge where I'm like, hey, I don't know what to do. Let's we're having breakfast at either DZ Akins. Are they are they a Broken Yolk and I need an answer and I'll tell you every time I've ever done that I've taken his advice and he just knows whether there's a bunch of different things but he just knows and I know that that's his position to bring ballast. I'm all sail I'm not all sail but I'm a lot of sale right a lot of sale, but I'm ready for nine spinnakers. That's the giant sales if you don't say, oh you get too much sale and not enough ballast. You know Jim's ballast for me and it's the reason that even though he's the head Pastor. He's still here because he's been that Elliot one of our Bible study teachers. I've reached out to him Laura Ambrose got some women on this as well.

Ask her about evangelism. She has a heart for evangelism more than me. There's a massive heart for evangelism. And so I asked her regularly. What should we do? Because it's not the thing for me is I want to disciple and she wants to do evangelism. I put Drea on here Drea is incredibly why she helped guide us through covid, which was great Garrett and Deb Netherland who run our marriage Ministry.

I've reached out to them Bev and Kai Adler. Eat it and Devin Bryant my daughter Lily a regular ask her Lily. I've done that since she was a kid wise Beyond her years. Ask her. Hey, what do you think? I'm doing? Should I do better at this Chris Bateman whenever counselors Pastor Sean Pastor Harry old Beyond his years wise Beyond his years. I could go on forever.

Who's your counsel? You know, I'm so blessed why I'm surrounded by a counsel. I got a I got a hundred or two hundred people in this church that I could think of that I could just go to and say hey I need you know, and then I got to filter that then I gotta go live it. Who's your counsel? Number three on this list is getting community be surrounded by wise people you will often be the measure of who you surround yourself with as I close. I want to say one of the things that brings me a lot of Peace when I'm feeling alone in because as a leader, you can feel alone like that and the devil wants you to let you know that makes you think like your entire family is dependent just upon you or you know, the church is just depended upon me and one of the things I've realized is that when I look around how do I know? I'm in a good place. I look at your face.

I look at the people, you know, like the munsons and other people that are that are here and that have been apart and Curtis and I could go on and on. But I look around and I think they're good people. These people are amazing and they're here and I'm here and I'm leading it. I'm okay. That makes sense. Like I just look around at who's on the team and I'm like, I don't have to be shortstop and the Pitcher and the catcher and hit and I don't have to run, you know, imagine yourself trying to play every position on the field and that's what it is. So those are the three things for this year and seeking knowledge. We got two more weeks of this number one cancel the noise live in the questions.

Ask God. What are you doing? What are you saying get rooted in community find your counsel find your counsel surround yourself with those people. Amen.